Hasbro, Wizards of the Coast Reveal MTG e-Sports Program
Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast announced a brand new e-sports program coming in 2019 for Magic: The Gathering, which boasts a $10 million prize pool across digital and tabletop Magic.
With more than 35 million Magic players to date in more than 70 countries around the world, Magic’s new e-sports structure is designed to appeal to an audience of card game players and offers an open platform to allow all Magic players the opportunity to compete.
The Magic Pro League (MPL) establishes a new level of professional play and features 32 of the top ranked Magic players from around the world. Players in the MPL are offered play and streaming contracts worth $75,000. Members of the MPL will play in weekly match-ups on Magic: The Gathering Arena that will lead to newly introduced Mythic Championship events.
Mythic Championships are the new flagship competitions for Magic: The Gathering Arena esports and tabletop Magic competitive play. Mythic Championships will feature MPL players battling against challengers from the Magic community. The Magic: The Gathering Arena esports program kicks off with a $1 million Mythic Invitational at PAX East 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts.
“The past 25 years of Magic competition has led us to design this comprehensive esports program that would support Magic: The Gathering Arena, while increasing our investment in tabletop Magic,” said Elaine Chase, vice-president of Esports at Wizards of the Coast. “Our investment in esports will catapult the game to new heights while providing support to the players by giving them the platform to build their brand and bring Magic to a broader audience.”